ALTON – Alton may be the next community in the Riverbend to retain a local sales tax on groceries after the state’s 1% grocery tax expires in 2026.
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Appearing on the Alton Committee of the Whole agenda for Monday, June 9, 2025 is a resolution to create an ordinance implementing a 1% sales tax on groceries and a 1% sales tax on grocery “services.”
The Illinois General Assembly has granted local municipalities the ability to impose their own local sales taxes on groceries to offset projected revenue losses, since 100% of the expiring grocery tax proceeds went directly to local governments.
If the Committee of the Whole approves the resolution on Monday, it goes next to the Alton City Council for final approval on Wednesday, June 11. City officials would then draft an ordinance on the same topic, which would go through the standard approval process and, if approved, be adopted into the Alton City Code of Ordinances.
The Alton City Council has until Oct. 1, 2025, to pass an ordinance implementing the local grocery tax in order to start collecting it on Jan. 1, 2026. Since this would replace an existing tax, rather than adding on a new tax, it would have a net-neutral effect on grocery prices.
If passed, Alton would join several other communities in the Riverbend region which have passed similar measures in recent weeks, including Jerseyville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, and Wood River.
Follow the discussion and vote on this and other agenda items on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 6 p.m. on Riverbender.com/video/live. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for the latest on this and other Alton local government coverage.
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